Names



No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. P-.'1V[0AULAY.

HAME I Patented Mar. 9, 1897.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

P. MOAULAY.

HAM E.

No. 578,653. Patented Mar. 9, 1897.

INVENTUR- v ififi? Z i a/ F17 w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER MCAULAY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAMQES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iietters Patent No. 578,653, dated March9, 1897.

Application filed December 30, 1896. Serial No. 617,500. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, PETER McAULAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Hames, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, inwhich Figure 1 is a front elevation of a divided horse-collar having myimproved hames applied thereto, the collar and hames being shown closedup. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower portion of the same, thecoveringplates of the hollow portion of the hames being broken away toshow the interior construction. Fig. 3 is an elevation similar to Fig.2, showing the collar and hames open at the bottom to enable the collarto be easily slipped over the horses head. Fig. 4 is an elevation of theinner sides of the lower portions of the hames, showing thebuttonholeslots for receiving the fastening-studs on the collar by whichthe hames are secured thereto at those points. Fig. 5 is an enlargedperspective view of the detachable pole-strap ring-holder. Fig. 6 is anenlarged sectional detail on line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

My invention relates to that description of hames which are intended foruse in connection with a collar divided at the bottom and adapted to beopened on a hinge or pivot at the top to enable it to be easily placedover a horses head, such collars and hames being well adapted for hackand express harnesses and also those used for fire apparatus; andmyinvention consists in a pair of hames adapted to be fastened to thecollar and having their lower ends connected by a link or bar pivoted atone end to the bottom of one of the hames and sliding within theopposite portion of the other hame, combined with a locking device ofpeculiar construct-ion for holding and locking the hames and collar whenclosed up, said locking device being simple, easily operated, and freefrom liability to get out of order or become accidentally unfastened;and my invention furthermore consists in a novel connecting device forfastening the hames to the collar in such manner as to permit the hamesto be easily removed for repairs or other purpose without injuring ortearing the collar to which they are attached.

In the said drawings, A represents a divided horse-collar, the two sidesor portions of which are hinged together at the top to permit them to beseparated at the bottom, as shown dotted in Fig. l, to facilitate theoperation of placing the collar over the head of a horse.

B 0 represent the two hames, which are composed of brass or othersuitable metal and properly fitted to the roll of the collar, which isshaped to receive them. The upper ends of the hames are provided, asusual, with eyes for the reception of the leather strap 1), by which thehames are held securely together at the top of the collar. Each of thehames is secured to the collar by means of a headed stud d, Figs. 2 and3, which is permanently secured to the bottom of the inner side of thecollar and projects therefrom intoa position to engage a buttonhole-slotf in the adjacent side of the hame near the bottom thereof, as shown inFigs. 2 and 4, the hame after being engaged by the stud d and slid intoplace being still further secured to the collar by a screw-boltg,'preferably placed near the middle of its length, this method offastening enabling the hames to be readily removed for repairs or otherpurpose without injury to the collar.

0 c are ordinary rein-eyes, which are formed integral with the hames, asshown in Fig. 1.

The lower portion of each of the hames is made hollow, forming a box orcasing which is provided with a removable cover or plate h, secured inplace by means of suitable screws.

The two hames B O are connected together at the bottom by a link or barD, which is pivoted at one end to the hame B by means of a screw 7c, thesaid link being provided at the pivotal point with a circular boss m,Fig. 6, fitting within a correspondingly -shaped cavity n in the bottomof the hame B, thereby forming a stronger pivotal bearing than if thescrew it only was relied upon to hold the link in place. The link D isprovided with a longitudinal slot 25 and is fitted to slide within theopposite hollow portion of the hame C, a stop-pin 26, passing throughthe slot 25, serving to limit the outward movement of the two hames fromeach other, and consequently the distance which the collar can be openedto enable it to be slipped over the head of the horse. To the end of thelink D, which slides within the hame O, is pivoted a dog 28, thehook-shaped outer end of which, when the collar and hames are closedtogether, enters an aperture 29 in the side or outer wall of the hame,in which position it is locked, so that it can escape, by means :ofaisliding catchbolt G, the stem 30 of which passes through a partition31, extending across the interior of the casing and is encircled by aspiral spring 32, by which the bolt is pressed down to cause its tongue33 to pass in behind the dog 28, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby acting as awedge to hold the hook-shaped end of the dog in place within theaperture 29, so that.

it cannot be withdrawn to permit of the opening of the collar until thebolt Gr is pressed back against the resistance of the spring 32 byplacing the thumb or finger against a thumb-piece 34 on said catch-bolt, which passes through a slot 35 in the side of the easing and isproperly shaped to slide upon the outside of the casing, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3.

s is a pin which fits between the tongue 33 and the opposite portion ofthe bolt G and serves to prevent the displacement of the bolt, and alsolimits its movement in the direction in which it is pressed by thespring The link D is of suitable length to permit the hames and collarto be opened or spread apart at the bottom. sufficiently to permit thecollar to pass freely over the head of the horse, and when the collar isclosed up the locking device will automatically catch the link D andhold it so that it will be impossible for it to become unfastened by anymovements of the horse, thus rendering it absolutely safe and reliableunder all conditions to which it may be subjected.

H is a ring for the pole-strap where a double hitch is used, this ringbeing secured to the hame by a D-shaped ring-holder I, having-a centralopening 40, Figs. 2 and 5, onits inner straight side for the entrance ofthe ring H when the holder is removed from the hame. The outer wall ofthe hame at this point is provided with two straight notches or openings41 42, into which the ring-holder is fitted after thecovering-plate ithas been removed,

as shown in Fig. 2, the portion 43 of the wall between the notches beingembraced by the holder I, the inclined ends of which take a wedgingbearing against the adjacent sides of the notches, which thus receivethe strain instead of the central portion 43 embraced by the holder. Bythis construction when the ring H is not required for use it is merelynecessary to take off the covering-plate h, when the holder with itsring can be readily removed and the plate h again secured in place byits screws, or the ring may be replaced by a snap-hook, if desired, andthe holder again returned to its place.

L L are the tug-clips, which are pivoted to the hames at 25 if, saidclips being provided, as usual, with means for securing the tracesthereto.

When the hames B O are brought together, the joint between them iscovered by a plate 50, secured to the hame B by a screw 51, and

through this plate and a lug 52 beneath the same passes a screw 53 forholding between said plate and lug a ring 54: for the martingale orpole-strap.

What I claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a hame-coupling, the combination with the hames, of thelongitudinally-slotted connecting-link pivoted at one end to one of thehames and sliding within the hollow portion of the opposite hame, astop-pin passing through the slot in the link for limiting the outwardmovement of the ends of the hames from each other, a dog pivoted to thefree end of the conn ecting-link and having a hook or projection at itsouter end adapted to engage an aperture in the wall of the casing inwhich the connecting-link slides,and a springactuated slidingcatch-boltprovided with a thumb-piece, and having a tongue or projection adapted,when the hames are brought together, to pass behind the dog and lock thesame within the aperture in the casing, all constructed to operatesubstantially as described.

2. The combination with a divided horsecollar having headed studsprojecting from the inner sides of its lower ends, of the hames providedwith buttonhole-slots engaging said studs, and the fastening-bolts g, g,for securing the upper portions of the hames to the collar,substantially as described.

lVitness my hand this 28th day of December, A. D. 1896.

PETER MCAULAY.

In presence of- P. E. TEsoHEMAoHER, LoUIs PFINGST.

